“We lost a lot of kids (six), but we had good kids in the program,” said Vial, after the LHSAA released its playoff brackets Thursday afternoon. “We don’t have a bunch of superstars. We just have kids that do their job. The big thing is the improvement of (sophomore pitcher Lauren) Beadle. She’s been quite a surprise and the reason for a lot of our success.”

The Tigers have expected company at the top. No. 1 John Curtis hosts No. 32 MeGehee at 5 p.m. Friday. The defending Class 2A state champions had its 58-game winning streak snapped Wednesday, so they’re more than poised to find their winning ways again.

“If you get to Sulphur, the No. 1 seed helps you be the home team all the way through,” Curtis Coach Jerry Godfrey said. “Besides that, it doesn’t mean much. We have to move ahead and give our best.”

District foe Riverside is the No. 2 seed, so if Curtis and Riverside keep winning, they’ll cross paths in the finals.

Class 5A Fontainebleau will refamiliarize itself with its district much sooner. The Bulldogs, who are a program-best fifth seed, host No. 28 St. Scholastica at 5 p.m. Tuesday. They could also see Northshore in the second round.

“We could actually see two teams from District 6-5A in the first two rounds,” Fontainebleau Coach Chris Nelson said. “That’s all the way up to the state tournament. That says good things about our district. The hard work we put in this season is being rewarded.”

In Class 3A, St. Charles Catholic landed a No. 7 seed and hosts No. 26 Farmerville at 5 p.m. Monday. Coach Ty Monica said his team’s strong district helped with the seeding. District 7-3A foe Brusly is the No. 1 seed.

Like other coaches, Monica just wants his team to play its best.

“It’s been a roller-coaster ride to say the least,” Monica said. “We’ve had days where we’ve come out and looked like the New York Yankees, and we’ve had days where we come out and look like the Bad News Bears. You can worry about your opponent all you want, but the bottom line is you better make sure your team is ready to play.”